A Journal in Memory of those departed friends who were part of our great community in J-Land and now here, on Blogger. This is their home. We will never forget.

Saturday, 4 July 2015

Sheria Reid / The Examined Life

It is with profound shock and sadness that I am writing this tribute to Sheria, whom I first encountered as "aimer" on AOL, nearly a decade ago. Until January 2015, she posted in her blog The Examined Life, in which she held American society in critical acclaim, focusing on race relations amongst other topics. Sheria latterly posted mainly on Facebook, and I was always pleased to read her take on current affairs, and American politics in particular.

A comment on her Facebook wall alerted us to the sad passing of Sheria on 1 July 2015. When she failed to turn up for work that day, she was found deceased at her home, having suffered a massive heart attack.

I never met Sheria, like I never met so many J-landers whose keyboards have long since fallen silent. Nonetheless, I was deeply saddened upon reading of her death. Our J-land community in particular, and the world at large, is a little smaller and less bright for her passing. Her wisdom and insight will be missed.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this sad time.

3 comments:

RIP Sheria. I agree Guido- her intellect, wit, creativity and empathy drew people to her and the world is indeed a less brighter place for having lost her. Her keyboard may be silent but her legacy will live on.

Go with God Sheria. I will miss your smiling face which always greeted me when I came to read your posts. You always made sense and spoke from your heart. We have truly lost a unique friend. Rest in peace.

Anyone reading her blogs felt they knew this young woman. She was funny and witty, and I was drawn to her. When I discovered she lived just an hour's drive away, I told my other AOL J-Land/Blogger friend, Caroline Camons, and we decided to meet Sheria at a restaurant one sunny week-end so we could get to know each other in person, hear each other's voices and laughter. Sheria related some family stories, had us both laughing so hard. What surprised me the most about meeting this woman was that I was expecting someone much taller than myself! But when I walked into the restaurant, looking around, trying to pick out her face that I knew from blog photos, I didn't realize she was standing right in front of me at the check-in table! She wasn't much taller than me. When she turned, and looked into my eyes, I knew it was her, and she knew it was me and we both bursted out laughing and hugged each other. It was the best two hours spent with someone I had only known on paper til then. I am searching for the photos from that day so I can post: the three of us posing for a photo outside of the restaurant before we parted. She was bigger than life, Sheria Reid. Her memory will forever be treasured by this FB friend.